Hat press



A. DEMNITZ Sept. 4,11934.

HAT PRES S Filed May 14, 1931 Patented Sept. 4, 1934 UNITED STATES HAT mass Albert Demnitz, Dresden-Laubegast,

, Germany Application May 14', 1931, Serial No. 537,373 In Germany June 7,1930,

3' Claims. (01.. 223-31 For pressing hats presses are mostly used at the present time, which are actuated by water,

and, owing tcthe high pressure exerted, are'very compact and heavy. These hydraulic presses'are' dimcult to operate, as the operator mustraise and lower by hand the-pressing head counterbalanced by weights, and he must further look by hand and also pump in and discharge the pressure water by hand. The efiiciency of such presses ti-vely exigent requirements on the strength and skill of theoperator. Y v g Thisinv'ention overcomes all these objections in that by employing compressed air as driving power not only the necessary pressure for-the hats to be pressed is'produced, but at the same time the raising and lowering of the pressing head and also the'locking and releasing thereof is effected by compressed air.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing in which: I

Fig. 1 shows the press in front elevation.

Fig. 2 shows the press partly in front elevation and partly in section. V I

Fig. 3 shows half of a rotatable multiple press.

Fig. 4 shows a distributing head, partly in elevation and partly in section.

The press consists of a hat shaping cup a with inserted hat mould b and of a pressing head cover 0 with rubber bladder d. A pressure space e is formed between the pressing head cover 0 and the rubber bladder d. A suitable number of ribs f is provided on the cover 0. Clamps g with adjusting screws h are hinged at g" on theribs ,f of the cover 0. The hinged clamps g have an extension g directed towards the cover 0, levers i being articulated with their arms 2" at f to these extensions 9. The levers i are pivotally mounted at i" in the ribs J and are connected to the arms k of a common disc Z. This disc Z'is suspended with all the levers i and consequently with the clamps g together with the complete pressing cover 0 to a bridge m,-mounted on two opposite piston rods n of the lifting cylinders o.

p is a reversing valve with air feed pipe q and air discharge pipes r to and from the cylinders and cover 0. s is a column, on which the hat mould cup a is mounted. it is a gas burner for 5 0- heating the hat cup a. In Figs. 3 and 4 u is a and a gas-distributor a: are arranged, centrally is consequently very limited and makes compara-' supply pipe to the gas distributor x.

to thehat mould-carrier at the upper end of the column a. The distributor w can be so constructed that it' has grooves designed only for conducting the compressed air to the difierent hat shaping presses a, so that the air admission and discharge 7 on each press can be separately regulated by V valves, or the distributor head 10 has in its inner and outer members grooves sov arranged that the airadmission and discharge are automatically regulated by the turning of the press carrier '22. 2 are pipes leading'from the distributor w tothe presses, and 3 are pipes leading to the gas burners orthe presses. y is the admission pipe for compressedair'tof the distributor w, and a is the gas The-machine op'eratesin the following manner: The hat mouldis heated by gas burners t. Air is blown through the reversing valve 12 into the cylinders 0, so that both pistcnrods 71. rise with the bridge m connected thereto. The disc Z, on which the levers i are suspended, rises together with the bridge m, whereby first the hinged clamps g are automatically swung outwards and thereafter the cover a is lifted with the rubber bladder d. After inserting into the hat mould b thehat to be pressed; the reversing valve 10 is set for discharging. The air then flows out of'the cylinders o, the cover 0 descends on to the hat moulding cup at and the hinged screws fall downwards. The reversing valve p is then set' for air admission to the cover 0 and compressed air flows into the space 6 between the cover 0 and the rubber bladder d, so that the hatto be pressed is forced against the heated hat mould. The upwardly acting pressure in the cover 0 caused by the pressing is taken up on the wall of the hat mould cup by the hinged clamps When the hat has been pressed, the compressedair is allowed to escape through the reversing valve p, and communication is established with the lifting cylinders o. The air then lifts the pistons n with the bridge m and the disc Z, the hinged clamps g are swung upwards and the cover 0 is raised.

The. construction shown in Fig. 3 shows a combination of a plurality of separate presses to a'lilo unit. Aplurality or presses are in this case provided with a common column u having on its upper portion a common compressed air distributor '11), combined with a gas distributor m. The presses are mounted on a table, star or cross-shaped carrier 12, rotatably mounted on the column u and connected with the distributors w and a: so that both distributors rotate with the carrier v.

Grooves are cut in-the compressed air distributor so that the distribution of the compressed air is automatically regulated during the rotation of the press carrier. Thus, when a press reaches the point, on which the operator stands in front of the machine, this press must be relieved of pressure and air. automatically enters into the cylinders o and lift the cover 0. After inserting the hat, the carrier '0 is turned through a certain distance and the air escapes automatically from the cylinders 0 until the cover 0 comes to bear on the hat mould cup a and the hinged clamps 9 swing back. By further turning the carrier 0, compressed .air enters the space e,

presses the hat, and at the same time the press to be moved to the front is emptied; whereas the press actually moving towards the front opens automatically.

The operator has only to turn the press carrier and to remove and insert the hats. The driving of the press carrier may evidently be effectedme chanically. The distributor may also be so constructed, that the air always flows uniformly to the different presses and these, as is the case in the single press, illustrated in Fig. 1, can be operated byhand by means of a reversing valve or other suitable valves. The compressed air distributor w is preferably composed of an inner member slightly conical and of a bell placed thereon. The gas distributor :1: is mounted on the upper part of the compressed air distributor.

employed, as may appear advisable and practical.

In order to prevent the burning of the rubber bladder and to obtain a saving of compressed air, these elements may be partly filled with water.

I claim:

1. A hat press, comprising in combination a hat moulding cup, a movable cover for said cup, clamps hinged to said cover and adapted to engage said moulding cup for locking the cover in position on the cup, and lifting means connected to said cover and to said clamps adapted to open and close said clamps and to lift said cover.

. 2. In a hat press the combination of a hat moulding cup, a movable cover for said cup,

, clamps hinged to said cover and adapted to engage said moulding cup for locking the cover in position on the cup, levers pivotally mounted on said cover and hingedly connected at one end to said clamps, piston rods connected to the other end of said levers, pressure cylinders adapted to guide said piston rods, and means for supplying pressure medium to said cylinders to lift said cover through the intermediary of said piston rods.

3. A hat press, comprising'in combination a plurality of separate presses, a common carrier supporting said presses, a common compressed air distribution adapted to automaticallyregulate the air admission and discharge to and from said presses, and a gas distributor combined with said compressed air distributor, said air and gas distributors being arranged to come consecutively- ALBERT DEMNITZ. 

